Micropave

[ps_bond]

As some people already know, I was recently over in Utrecht doing a week-long course in micropave setting.

It'll take some practice until I'm entirely happy with the results, and I won't be doing any of this style of setting in silver. Gold or platinum only - with the labour involved, there seems little point in aiming it at the less expensive metals.

4627

37 stones, each 1.1mm across. Some *very* fiddly layout work (and I scrubbed off the piece several times before I was satisfied with the scribed layout).

Still having fun trying to photograph the stuff! On the full-size image I can make out the word "Swarovski" lasered into the table of each CZ, but I think it's beyond the resolution ability of the lens to show it clearly.

[Dennis]

There's Posh. You won't want to talk to us soon. Only because you said so can I see a word on each stone, with magnification. Dennis.

[caroleallen]

That's very neat Peter. Much better than I could do.

[mizgeorge]

Impressed!!!

[Tabby66]

Very nice work!!

[Wallace]

beautiful, clean and so very tiny. Brilliant and lovely all at once (and I learned that Swarovski laser their stones today!)

[Gemsetterchris]

Good Peter! I bet it was fiddly.
You have inspired me to have a go, so i ordered a bag of 1mm cz`s..now to find something to put some in.
Have to see if i can find time to spend messing around for fun.

[art925]

Fantastic work Peter,
was the course at Jura?

Les

[snow_imp]

Wow, no wonder you only want to put that effort into gold etc. Beautiful.

[ps_bond]

The course was indeed with Jura - there aren't many people offering training in it.

There is a mechanical issue to using gold as well - silver isn't really up to this (and the tarnish issue isn't great for any pave). Then there's getting people to pay for the time it takes, it's just not going to fly unless the materials are top-notch. Then there's the minor issue of finding a market for it...!

That took me a full day to do that; more practice will mean it gets quicker, but it's *got* to be more accurate - the stones are at different levels, the orientation varies, the prong sizes vary...

The course was hard work. Almost all of the setting training I've had before was not applicable, the ways of working under the scope were *very* different to what I've seen before - although I got the impression they're common for European-trained setters (esp. Germany?). I'm still rejigging some of my working methods to fit, but right at the moment I'd love to build a new bench just for setting, rather than my more general setup. Space constraints... Picked up a lot on photo techniques, CAD and the likes too - just being in the environment was very useful.

Made coming back to the full-time work a bit mundane though.

[SilverBouillon]

The course was indeed with Jura - there aren't many people offering training in it.

That's the such a high level I even can not dream about. Awesome. I'm a bit envious :)
Amazing work and the main thing that you seem truly enjoying with this!

[sonia]

Beautiful work Peter

Sonia
x

[Tabby66]

WOW Peter.............Jura............what a place to go, look forwards to seeing your piccies :D

[Crystal Clarke]

That's Beautiful, Fantastic!!! :-)